When She Smiles
by festival-chan loves books
Summary: Sasuke is gone, and Sakura is depressed... Meanwhile, Naruto waits for her to stop crying and leave her room.  Songfic!


Songfic!

I wrote this one a long time ago, when I was feeling rather depressed.

It's a _really _old song. But I like it. (Absolutely) Story of a Girl, by Nine Days.

Or something like that.

I don't know why, I don't even like NaruSaku.

NaruHina is one of my absolute favorites. Personally, I think that Sakura is so absolutely determined to get Sasuke, and Hinata so determined to get Naruto, that we should just let them have the guys that they want, but other people disagree. Of course, I like some other Hinata pairings, but I really vote for NaruHina.

Anyway, I was reading this and I thought it was rather different from how I usually write. Please excuse any weirdness... It's kind of an AU, I guess, because they don't really sound like this in the manga. Sakura's depressed and Naruto's depressed and everyone's feeling hopeless and down... Much as I like to cause my characters pain... This is a little much for me... I suppose it could have been worse.

Anyway... angst and depression and tears of unrequited love... Sasuke's gone, by the way, 'cause he's stupid.

* * *

_This is the story of a girl,  
Who cried a river and drowned the whole world!  
And while she looked so sad in photographs,  
I absolutely love her,  
When she smiles... _

Sakura was crying again, Naruto noted as he passed her window. Even two and ¾ years later, she still cried once a week. She felt guilty, he knew, because she had been the last to see **him** in Konohagakure. She put on a brave face every time she saw Naruto. Also during pictures. When they had taken pictures with her, she tried to smile. But just before the picture, her smile would falter, just a bit, but it was enough that he knew, and Kakashi-sensei knew, and anyone who knew her that she was still sad and waiting for him to come back.

Sometimes, Naruto would say something, and then she would smile.  
He loved those moments. He relished them. It used to be only **him **that could make her smile like that. She looked so sad, but he absolutely loved it when she smiled for real.

But that hardly ever happened.

_How many days in a year?  
She woke up with hope but she only found tears. _

Once when she was particularly late, he went to go see if she was okay. She came to the door teary-eyed, barely even hiding it. He wondered how often that happened and she just fixed up her makeup special to hide it, going on her way. He continued his pacing while waiting for her outside.

He'd seen her face when she came to see him. Evidently she had just heard he couldn't bring Sasuke back. A promise he hadn't kept. He could see the hidden tears behind her hopeful words that dodged the truth.

_  
And I can be so insincere,  
Making her promises never for real!  
_

How could he ever get Sasuke back? How on earth could he ever keep his promise? And yet… he could… he had to.

_As long as she stands there waiting,  
Wearing the holes in the soles of her shoes!  
How many days disappear?_

The waiting was endless… Two and ¾ of a year is a long, long time when a teammate is gone and labeled a traitor. And you're not strong enough to bring him back.

Naruto missed Sasuke at least as much as Sakura, but in a completely different way.

_  
When you look in the mirror so how do you choose?  
Your clothes never wear as well the next day,  
And your hair never falls in quite the same way-  
But you never seem to run out of things to say...  
_

She looked different. She cared less about her clothes and her hair. But she avoided silences at all costs. Even resorting to awkward conversation.

_  
This is the story of a girl_

_Who cried a river and drowned the whole world_

_And while she looks so sad in photographs_

_I absolutely love her  
When she smiles...  
_

Would she smile for real in pictures ever again? Would she ever smile for real at all?

_  
How many lovers would stay?  
Just to put of with this stuff day after day!  
How did we wind up this way?  
Watching our mouths for the words that we say._

The list of taboo names and phrases is endless to him. Sasuke… Orochimaru… Itachi… Akatsuki… Will you go out with me?... and it goes on.

_  
As long as we stand here waiting,  
Wearing the clothes of the souls that we choose!  
How do we get there today?  
When we're walking too far for the price of our shoes!  
Your clothes never wear as well the next day,  
And your hair never falls in quite the same way-  
But you never seem to run out of things to say!...  
_

_  
This is the story of a girl_

_Who cried a river and drowned the whole world_

_And while she looked so sad in photographs_

_I absolutely love her_

_When she smiles..._

_Your clothes never wear as well the next day,  
And your hair never falls in quite the same way-  
But you never seem to run out of things to say..._

Taboo subjects? Endless. Awkward conversation? Infinite.

_  
This is the story of a girl,  
Who cried a river and drowned the whole world!  
And while she looks so sad in photographs,  
I absolutely love her-_

_This is the story of a girl;  
Her pretty face she hid from the world!_

How come, when she was so pretty, and so smart, and kind, Sasuke couldn't see it, even if he, Naruto, the supposedly dumb one, could?

_  
And while she looks so sad and lonely there,_

Her face passed the window, glancing at him. For a moment she stayed. Then she was gone.

_  
I absolutely love her,  
When she smiles...  
_

She ran out the front door with her fake smile on, the one that he didn't love. Her tears still sparkled in her bright green eyes, which showed up as greener from the red area around them, and the pink that was her hair.

_  
This is the story of a - girl!  
Who cried a river and drowned the whole world!  
And while she looks so sad in photographs,  
I absolutely love her,  
When she smiles...  
When she smiles._

"Thanks for waiting, Naruto." Her smile faltered for a moment, then regained its full falsity.

"Hey, even Kakashi's waiting for you! C'mon, let's go, Sakura-chan!"

"Race you!"

"This coming from someone who's later than the guy who's FAMOUS in Konoha for being late!"

"Bye-bye!" She was so much faster, so he ran to try and beat her.

Were the tears she had when they got there the tears that had come from thinking of **him**, the ones she hadn't been able to stop? Or were they from running so fast she'd outran Naruto? He couldn't tell.

* * *

Angst... sadness... depression... tears...

The torture! I. Can't. Watch! Noooooooooooo...!

Oh yeah, the chorus part of the song is weird... because my computer is.

Just thought I'd upload this, and take a break from my dear fiction "Neji's Bad Day," which I know you all love.

Oh, and flames welcomed. So, if you have a particularly nasty comment, I am quite open to hearing it (unless it's not about my writing, but about me, in which case I would respond with a particularly nasty comment of my own... about your writing). Criticism is lovely when taken in small doses. Like salt. Or that sour stuff that's on Sour Gummy Worms. Yum.


End file.
